


Ever After

by TheQueenOfAlexandria



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-19 22:14:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11907279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheQueenOfAlexandria/pseuds/TheQueenOfAlexandria
Summary: What happens to everyone's favorite brothers after the events of the Raven Cycle.





	Ever After

**Author's Note:**

> Love Me On Tumblr alexandriasqueen

The death of Piper Greenmantle and the destruction of the third sleeper brought Declan Lynch back to Henrietta. After a frantic and horribly out of character call from Ronan, he packed up something clothes, packed up Matthew and said goodbye to Ashley.

"Did you want me to come with you?" she asked. 

"No," he replied harshly. In a lot of ways he felt like his father, always lying, always leaving. In the end it got Nail Lynch killed. Declan wondered what would happen to him in the end.

"I'll be back in a few days," he told her before slamming the door of his apartment. For her part, Ashley was smarter than most of the girls he had dated. She often knew when Declan was going to lie to her before she even asked any questions, so she simply did not ask any. In that moment, he felt like he could love that about her. 

It was around three in the morning by the time Declan pulled up to the Barnes. He loved and hated it there. On one hand, it was the only place in the world he could let his guard down. With the wall of secrets slowly coming down between him and his brothers, he could almost picture a life of what could have been. But in the end, he would always be an outsider to his own family. A house full of magic did nothing but remind him of that.

When they entered the house, Ronan was nowhere to be found. Hopefully he was sleeping, Declan didn't want to wake him in case he was. 

He knew better than most the particular kind of insomnia his brother suffered from. Ronan had been able to pull things from his dreams for as far back as Declan could remember, though as a child he did it sparingly and unconsciously. Ronan was a teenager before he became truly aware of his ability. 

He remembered the first night he woke up to Ronan screaming. His mother met him in front of Ronan’s door with a soft smile. 

“Go back to sleep, my love,” she said, carefully brushing Declan’s hair aside. She always touched Declan carefully, like she knew of his hesitant love for her. It was not that he did not love his mother, it was that it felt unreal to him. To him, her love felt forced. It always felt like a dream. 

“What did he bring back?” he asked half concerned, half accusing. Aurora looked back to the younger boy’s room with an momentary expression of panic. By the time she turned back to Declan, her expression cleared.  
“Everything will be fine,” she said instead of answering before returning to Ronan’s room to assist his father. Declan felt grateful Niall had been home this time. Maybe he would finally explain everything to Ronan. 

Declan never asked, but from what he could tell if their father had talked to Ronan it didn’t help. 

Ronan did not sleep much after that. Declan would find him slumped over in one of the back barns or in the backseat of his father’s BMW, hiding from his family. Hiding from himself. 

After months of without any kind of regular sleeping pattern, Ronan began to look sickly. Declan could not stop himself from reaching out to worryingly trace the dark bruises under Ronan’s eyes. He was met with a sharp jab to the ribs. He made a point of never mentioning Ronan’s sleeping habits again, but the sound of Ronan’s scream still haunted his own dreams. 

Immediately upon arrival Matthew unceremoniously flopped down on the closest couch and fell asleep instantly. He had spent most of the car ride quietly sniveling to himself so he must have been exhausted. Part of Declan didn't want to bring him, though he knew he had to. They had to bury their mother, or at the very least bury their memories of her. 

Also, Ronan would have been unbearable if he thought Declan was keeping Matthew from him, though the impulse did occur to him. He could picture it. Ronan dying, worrying about what was happening to his baby brother. He knew the guilt Ronan would be carrying around now that he was faced with his deepest fear.

Matthew had passed out and silently began to bleed black from the eyes and ears. Ashley, in a panic, desperately tried to dial 911 until Declan grabbed the phone from her hand and smashed it on the floor. He knew what was happening and he was completely defenseless. 

He opened the door of his bedroom and looked around. Ronan's little satyr must have been crashing somewhere else for the night because she wasn't there, though his bed did look like it had been recently used. He assumed it was her that had been crashing there. 

He laid down and squeezed his eyes closed tightly. The sound of Ronan screaming and his father laughing, the sight of Matthew bleeding and Aurora smiling thrashed around his head until he fell into a fitful sleep. 

The next morning he woke late. Normally, Declan was an early riser. He liked to get the bulk of his father’s left over business done and out of the way before it trickled over into his actual life. 

Today he slept. It must have been the Barnes, the comfort of knowing that his brothers were alive and safe for now. 

He stumbled into his kitchen blindly and was half way though filling up a glass of water when he noticed a man sitting at the kitchen table. Even if he had never met the man before  
Declan would have recognized him. He was dressed in head to toe gray and a revolver sat on the table in front of him. Declan's gun. 

"You have got to be shitting me," he said out loud, though mostly to himself. He wondered where the fuck Ronan and Matthew were. Could they be dead already? Would he be able to feel that? 

He wondered idly what life would be like after losing his entire family. It was that thought that haunted Declan’s dreams after his father died and his mother fell lifeless. Declan was nothing to them and would be nothing without them. 

"Mr. Lynch," the man said in a way of greeting. "Have a seat. I brought your gun along to make you feel more comfortable." With that he gingerly slid the gun across the table to Declan. 

Declan was mentally trying to figure out how quickly he could move to retrieve the gun and kill the man before the man did the same to him, when he heard a knock on the window. 

Declan looked up to find Ronan on the opposite side, glaring like the pain in the ass he was. Matthew ran though the field behind him. He gave Declan the middle finger and winked before taking off into the field to trip Matthew as he ran by. 

"Please," the man said again, the portrait of patience. "Have a seat."

Declan did. 

As the man spoke he picked up the gun, inspected it, checked for bullets, and put the gun back on the table facing away from him. 

"I know that you have taken over your father's business deals," he said. “As a professional curtsey, I wanted to be the first to inform you that I have taken over a large portion of the magical trades business. I have joined forced with Seondeok.” 

Declan nodded considering. He always liked her, more straightforward, more business minded than some of the other trash his father had worked with. 

"Why on earth would she team up with you?” Declan asked skeptically. The last time he met with the gray man he had been inquiring about the Greywaren for an employer. Declan supposed that relationship had ended. 

It was just like Ronan to invite this asshole into their house. No sense of self preservation. 

"Mutual protected interests,” the Gray Man replied. It was a vague response but Declan wasn’t especially bothered. He hadn't expected anything else. He didn’t know why he even bothered asking. 

Instead of replying, Declan stared the man down, mostly because he did not know exactly what was going on but he didn’t want to reveal his cards just yet. 

"Your brother is at the forefront of my protected interest," the Gray Man said, sensing Declan’s hesitance. Or ignorance. 

"So you can use him?” Declan asked though it was not really a question. Their father had spread so many lies about the Greywaren, never bothering to consider the implications it could have on Ronan’s life. “And why would Ronan, of all people, allow you to even step foot on this property?”

"Your brother and I have engaged in a hesitant relationship. He will never trust me or forgive me and I will never let him.” the Gray Man said plainly. Declan snorted. 

"Please, a handsome smile and I’m sure you played him some kind of sob story. Just his type. Sometimes, I think Ronan is softer than Matthew,” Declan said. 

"I'm surprised you think Mr. Parrish would allow anything to happen to him,” the Gray Man replied. As he spoke, his lips twitched upwards, though Declan could not figure out if he was attempting to smile or fighting to suppress the urge. Either way, he still looked threatening. 

"Adam? What does he have to do with any of this?" he asked. 

Declan always liked Adam better than Gansey and Ronan, though not by much. Mostly because he was always willing to bend for him when the other two were not. There was something about him though, something twisted and sick. A product of upbringing his father would say and in this case Declan would agree. Once Adam figured out his deal, Declan was sure he would be someone he'd have to look out for.

The other man sat passive, giving nothing away. 

"You're brother is protected here by more magic than I think even you realize. He has built himself quite a family here.”

Declan flinched at that, though it was minimal, so he couldn't be sure the man noticed.

"It is you I am worried about," the man said, though he sounded neither concerned nor condescending. 

“After this show with the Greenmatles, the game is changing,” he continued. “You need protection. You need magic.”

This conversation was headed in a much different direction than he had anticipated. 

"What are you suggesting?" he asked. Declan was trying to keep his voice level, but he felt he was coming off more Ronan-like than usual. 

"I think you have a few options you need to consider. First, Mr. Parrish would do quite adequately for your needs. Though working with him would require your relocation a little closer to the campus of his choosing.”

"Fucking Adam again," Declan replied exasperated. "What is up with this kid?”

"Mr. Parrish is extremely intelligent and has a good sense of how to use people to his advantage," the man said, smirking as if he were talking about his most talented pupil. It made Declan shiver. “He also was a talented magician. The demon destroyed his magic, though I am sure your brother is working on a solution for that as we speak." 

"You're not taking Adam," Ronan said, leaning against the doorway, feigning boredom. Declan narrowed his eyes at his brother. He did not like that Ronan was involved on whatever was happening. 

Declan rolled his eyes. "What do you care?" He asked. "It's not like YOU are going to be hanging out at Harvard with him? You have to actually go to high school to get into college.”

He did not know what he said to set Ronan off but the other boy punched a hole in the wall and stormed back out of the house. 

"I have to admit I am fascinated by the nature of your relationship with your brother. You know each other so well that you inherently know exactly what to say to destroy the other,” the Gray Man said. He didn’t sound judgmental, but truly fascinated. “Do you do it on purpose?”

"That time, no. It was simply an added bonus,” Declan said as he watched his brother return to the field with a new tension set in his shoulders. “I wasn't aware he was so keen on college in the first place." 

The Gray Man simply regarded Declan before nodding his head once. 

“Forget Parrish,” Declan said. “What other options do I have?” 

It was clear to Declan that he was out of his league in this situation. For Ronan to be willing working with the Gray Man, for Parrish to somehow be involved, and for Declan having no idea what was happening, he really needed to step up his game. Declan never wanted to be involved in his father’s business, but with Ronan being the Greywaren he could never leave him so unprotected. Though, Ronan seemed to be doing well handling the situation on his own. Well, him and his “new family” 

Still, Declan would do anything he could to protect his brothers. 

“Are you familiar with the women of 300 Fox Way?” The Gray Man asked. 

“Vaguely,” Declan replied, waving his hand in the air as if to dismiss them. “Psychics. Heard they were the real deal, or as real as you can get anyway. Work with the energy in Henrietta. Though my brother seems to have a boner for them though.”

“Hardly,” the Gray Man said, causing Declan to smile unwillingly before he continued. 

“There is a psychic, though I actually believe she refers to herself as a witch, residing in the house now. She is the most talented there, though she is considerably different. Besides Mr. Parrish, she is the only one who would consider relocating. If you were to stay in D.C, she would come with you,” the Gray Man said. 

“I can’t leave D.C.” Declan said. “I have a life there. Matthew he is still in school.” Declan was taking classes at Georgetown, though if he were in the mood to be honest he barely considered himself a student. More recently, his father’s business had begun taking up a considerable amount of his time. Still, Declan hung on fast to the idea of creating a life for himself outside of his father’s influence. 

“I have things to take care of before I head back to D.C. Does she have a schedule or a time I can meet with her before I go?” Declan asked. Oddly, the question seemed to surprise the man because he did not answer immediately, though his expression did not falter. 

“Come to Fox Way any time. She will be available,” he answered before pushing himself away from the table and offering Declan a hand. Declan wouldn't be caught dead shaking the hand of the man who murdered his father and after a moment, the Gray Man seemed to realize this. He nodded his head made his way out of the house. 

Declan watched him leave in shock. After a moment of useless staring he too pushed himself away from the table and made his way outside. He had shit to do. 

Aurora’s funeral was the following day though it was days before the Lynch brothers were collectively whole enough to travel outside of the Barns. To Declan’s surprise, Ronan was handling the loss quite well. He stayed with his brothers rather than speeding off into the night or drinking himself to oblivion. His friends stopped by frequently, sometimes even spending the night. 

It did not bother Declan as much as he thought it would. Their presence seemed to have a calming effect on Ronan. When Adam would spend the night, Ronan would not drink at all. 

It was nice to see that he did not feel so alone. Seeing him so taken care of, Declan allowed himself a little time to grieve on his own. Maybe this time things could be different this time. 

It was becoming obvious that if he wanted to remain in Ronan’s life, he needed to take the Gray Man’s offer seriously. He hadn't found the opportunity to talk to Ronan about this witch at Fox Way but he figured it would be best to meet her first without Ronan’s influence. Of course, he was wrong. 

Gwenllian was exactly the opposite of what Declan normally looked for in a woman.  
She was tall, brunette and crazy. Not even the good kind of crazy that could be fixed with champagne, jewelry and a night of sexual sacrifice on Declan's part. She was just your run of the mill batshit crazy. He didn’t know how to work with that and generally attempted to avoid it at all costs. 

He hated the Gray Man, impossibly even more than he had before. Even his gifts came with teeth. 

"She is the best psychic in the house," said the tiny girl who called herself Blue. "She would be an asset to you in DC.”

She spoke calmly enough, but something about her reminded Declan of Ronan. Cut throat aggression. Nothing comes for free. 

"Open my eyes and show me your world my boy, my boy, my boy and I will show you mine," she sang. Declan thought it sounded vaguely sexual but he did not know if that was the intention. He curled his lip at her, which seemed to please her even more.

"We almost died last time. All of us. Declan, there would have been nothing left," Ronan said, though he would not peel his eyes off the floor his voice was missing it's usual harshness, his face lacked its sneer. Ronan was showing his vulnerability. 

For a minute no one spoke, though Adam pushed himself off the wall where he had been leaning and snaked his hand through Ronan's. Ronan looked up just enough to meet the boy’s face. 

Oh, Declan thought then, Oh, as he saw his entire conversation with Mr. Gray in a new light. 

Ronan froze and shot Declan a look that said "try me mother fucker". 

Declan didn't have the energy. Instead he ignored his brother and tuned to Mr. Gray. 

"What will I do with her, if I take her?" he asked. He looked back toward the witch, who was digging around her hair for a lighter and proceeded to try and light it before Ronan walked over and stole the cigarette out of her mouth and snapped it in half. The witch choose to snap her teeth at him in response.

"She will come to your meetings and will act as your guide. She will be your best defense against those meaning to do you and your family harm." He added extra emphasis to the word family, as if that was what would influence Declan.

The truth was Declan always did everything for his family. He knew how everyone saw him. Selfish, arrogant Declan who didn't give a shit about his depressed brother but it was his job to keep Ronan alive. So far he had succeeded, though just barely. 

Maybe an extra set of defenses would come in handy. 

“Why do you trust him?” Declan asked. The Blue girl in the corner pushed away from Gansey roughly as if she found his question a personal affront. 

“It is not him I trust,” Ronan said, not looking at Declan but pointedly focusing his attention on the girl. She met his gaze head on and huffed slightly before retreating back into Gansey’s waiting arms. 

It was strange the way they all communicated with each other, as if they were all of the same mind and everyone else was an outsider. 

The Ronan in front of him was not the same boy he had left behind months ago. He was stronger, confident, trusting. What happened to him, Declan thought before remembering the boy clutching his brother’s hand. Fucking Adam Parrish had succeeded where even Gansey had failed. 

Handsome smile and a sob story, go figure. 

“And what about you?” Declan asked, forcing his attention away from Parrish and over to the witch. “You want to come with me?”

He meant to ask it snidely, but she accepted the comment for what it truly was. Consideration. 

“I want to see your world, my boy, boy, boy,” she said, repeating the same song as before but with less mocking delight and more sincerity. She proceeded to ruin the moment by forcefully grabbing Declan’s face an blowing a raspberry on his cheek. 

All three boys in the room sprung into action, quickly and forcefully removing her as if Declan would ever consider hitting a woman.

If Declan were in the mood to be honest with himself he would admit that he was more offended by their actions then he was by hers. They thought even less of him than he originally thought. 

He shook his head to remove the thought. He was not in the mood for honesty.

“Do you want to get your stuff ready?” Declan asked, forcing a calmness into his voice. Gwenllian nodded sternly and proceeded to pick out random items from the kitchen and shove them into her massive hair. 

“No, I meant clothes, possessions, things like that,” Declan said, though the witch seemed to pay him no more mind. 

“She doesn’t have anything,” Blue said sadly, looking at Gwenllian as if considering her for the first time. The boys wore similar expressions. No wonder she wanted to leave them.

“Fine,” he said, exasperated. “Did you need any time to say goodbye?” He knew she did not. She, like him, was an outsider in this house. Allowed to exist, not allowed to belong. 

“My King, Lily, Mongrel, Dreamer, Knife,” she said, naming all of them from Gansey to Mr. Gray in a way that sounded like a dismissal. She stormed out of the kitchen but not before stopping in front of Adam and spitting on his shoe. 

Matthew appeared in the doorway with the satyr on his shoulders, smiling as if everything that was happening around him was entirely normal. Declan sighed. 

“You ready, kiddo,” he asked. 

“Already,” Matthew cried. They had been in Henrietta for a week, six days longer than Declan had planned on staying. He was starting to feel desperate to leave it behind again. 

Of course, this time he was taking back some of Henrietta with him. He wondered how Ashley would respond to the feral woman they’d be taking in. Probably not well considering her aversion to pets in general. He hadn’t thought to ask her opinion on the matter. 

Declan nodded to Gansey and Blue. He reached out to shake Adam’s hand. He pulled Ronan into a quick one armed hug. He was ready to leave. 

"If you keep singing like that," Declan said as they made their way to the front of the house, whipping around to point his finger directly at Gwenllian's chest, “I will leave you on the side of the road, dead in a ditch."

.Gwenllian threw her head back as she cackled causing Declan to clench his hands into fists at the sound. He was beginning to reconsidered his former position on hitting a women. Though he was beginning to think she hardly constituted as one. 

It was only after they left, that the occupants of Fox Way fell into an unfamiliar quiet. 

"Well," Ronan said, turning to Blue. "That was easier than I thought it would be." 

“Two birds, one stone,” she replied sagely, before the both broke off into an unguarded laughter.

**Author's Note:**

> I have quite a bit written for this fic and it will go in an unexpected direction. Its pretty Declan centric because I feel like he was one of the most underrated characters in there series and I have a lot of thoughts on him. Chapter 2 is written but a mess so I'm trying to work it out now. The rest is less of a disaster.


End file.
